FEMA rates relative landslide risk for Santa Cruz County as very high and reports FEMA annualized frequency of 0.210 per year for the area.
FEMA summary
FEMA's profile for Santa Cruz County reports FEMA annualized frequency of 0.210 per year for landslide. FEMA's relative risk rating for the area is very high; the annualized frequency is a separate measure.
Hazard metrics cover FEMA county-equivalent geographies rather than individual addresses or parcels. Use local or state hazard maps before making a property, insurance, retrofit, or evacuation decision.
Select a hazard to inspect FEMA's figures for Santa Cruz County.
Landslide
FEMA combines its area-wide loss estimate and community data in this relative rating. Event frequency appears separately below.
Relative FEMA score
99.6/100
Occurrence thresholds vary by hazard. The FEMA methodology defines the value for each hazard.
The area loss estimate combines FEMA's modeled losses to buildings, population, and agriculture across Santa Cruz County. It is not an estimate for a home or address.
City risk summary
For Santa Cruz, FEMA rates landslide risk for Santa Cruz County as very high, with a relative score of 99.6/100. The next highest relative scores are earthquake at 99.3/100 and drought at 97.8/100.
Using FEMA data for Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz is #1 among 111 covered California entries for landslide risk. San Jose is about 25 straight-line miles from the Santa Cruz map point; its FEMA figures cover Santa Clara County.
For homeowners and movers
Preparedness actions
Living in Santa Cruz? Learn how to handle water storage, sanitation, and security in a small space.
The map shows Santa Cruz. All FEMA figures on this page cover Santa Cruz County.
The FEMA figures cover Santa Cruz County. Address-level conditions require local maps, building records, and property details.
FEMA rates relative landslide risk for Santa Cruz County as very high. Its FEMA annualized frequency is 0.210 per year. Damage at a specific address also depends on the building, soil, elevation, and exact hazard zone.
Among 111 California cities covered by this directory, Santa Cruz is #1 for relative landslide risk based on FEMA's score for Santa Cruz County. Homes within Santa Cruz can have different soil, elevation, construction, and hazard-zone conditions.
In FEMA's data for Santa Cruz County, the highest relative ratings are Landslide (Very High), Earthquake (Relatively High), and Drought (Relatively Moderate). FEMA uses estimated losses and community data along with event frequency when assigning these ratings.
The hazard numbers cover Santa Cruz County. For an individual home, check local fault, flood, fire, evacuation, and building records for the exact address.
FEMA gives Santa Cruz County an overall relative risk rating of relatively high. Conditions at a specific home depend on its hazard zones, building type, maintenance, insurance, and access to evacuation routes and emergency services.
Start with this step: Confirm the exact hazard using official local maps before making property or insurance decisions. Know how local officials issue warnings and evacuation instructions. Use Ready.gov Be Informed and local emergency guidance for a complete plan.
Distances are measured between city coordinates.
| City | Distance | Landslide rating | Relative score |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | 25 mi | Relatively High | 94.9 |
| Gilroy, CA | 25 mi | Relatively High | 94.9 |
| Santa Clara, CA | 27 mi | Relatively High | 94.9 |
| Seaside, CA | 27 mi | Very High | 99.5 |
| Sunnyvale, CA | 28 mi | Relatively High | 94.9 |
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View productHazard metrics come from FEMA National Risk Index v1.19.0 (March 2023). City population and coordinates come from SimpleMaps US Cities Database. For current conditions, use official local maps, warnings, inspections, and professional advice.